The iconic floating temple ... Pura Ulun Danu Beratan
There is something for everyone in Bali – surrender yourself to the pristine blue waters or get lost in the cultural heritage of the island. The GDN explores the Indonesian island...
IF sun, sand and sea is your thing, then your next travel destination to unwind should be Bali.
For me a trip to Bali was imminent and I finally got an opportunity when the Indonesian Embassy offered a five-day familiarisation trip to Bali and Yogyakarta for journalists.
We were a group of five from Bahrain and another group, from Egypt, was to join us at Denpasar airport in Bali.
The excitement was palpable, and even the 11-hour-long connecting flight could not dampen my spirits. After hours of twiddling thumbs and running through the menu on the entertainment unit a hundred times, the moment finally arrived and we landed in Bali.
The first thing I observed after getting out of the airport was Bali’s connect with its culture and rituals. Wherever you look, you will find cultural ceremonies, immaculate stone carvings of mythological characters and sacred offerings at shops or small temples.
We were then taken to Mercure Harvestland hotel in Kuta, where we were stationed for our three-day Bali leg of the tour.
Since I was part of a large group a bus was arranged to take us around the island, but it is recommended to go for a metered Taxi service such as Bluebird to avoid negotiation hassles.
Travellers also prefer renting two wheelers to zip around the busy roads of Bali as heavy traffic can slow down your pace sometimes.
Our first major stop was Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, the iconic floating temple. Located on the western side of Beratanlake in Bedugul with a backdrop of mountains, this picturesque temple is sure to leave you spellbound.
The stunning shrine, dated back to the 17th century, was built in the worship of Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and the river goddess Dewi Danu. Even though the temple compound is swarming with travellers and locals, it is still relatively peaceful.
Barong dance performance
During our stay, we also saw a Barong dance performance which portrays the eternal fight between good and evil with two main characters named Barong, a lion like creature, and Rangda, a witch.